UAE: Done Events called on Delta Sound to cover the audio side of the recent Michael McIntyre performance at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Delta was called in for the audio side.

The audio solution consisted of ten L-Acoustics K1 per side as the main PA with twelve dV-DOSC each side as out-fills. Front-fills consisted of eight L-Acoustics 5XT cabinets, while the delay system was eight 115XT HiQ. All of the enclosures were driven by LA8 amplifiers, controlled via LA Network manager and matrixed by a pair of Meyer Sound Galileo 616s.

The control comprised of a Waves enabled DiGiCo SD9 and a 360 Systems Instant Replay. Meanwhile, the mic package included a Shure UR4D radio system with DPA 4088 headset microphones and Shure Beta 58A handheld radio microphones.

“The overall system was not particularly complex but it had to be accurate and very coherent,” said Delta Sound director of engineering, Al Woods. “The delays were an addition that theoretically were not required (according to Sound Vision) but I added them to ensure intelligibility for the rear balcony. There is only one source, a single microphone, and every audience member has paid to hear every word.

“The venue (Sheik Rasheed Hall in DWTC) is a pretty dead room but has glass and metal surfaces at the rear of the room, so I deliberately chose to point the top of the main array lower than normal and used the delays to fill the upper seats of the balcony” continued Mr Woods. “This cut down on reflections which can be off-putting for the audience near the front of the venue.”

The load in was compressed due to another event the previous night, so an advance crew of Nadeem Ali and Mahesh Ramdin were in at 2am to put in the points and fly the PA. By 8am they had the whole thing in the air and ready to go. Rayno Spies operated the show and Jentry Sierra looked after RF and stage duties.

“I decided to give Rayno the job of operating the show; he’s one of our younger engineers and this was a great opportunity to put him in the hot seat” explained Mr Woods. “We worked on the system together and took a very different approach to the system set-up that one would normally do for a music show. We carefully set levels within the arrays to ensure even coverage, timing the system and making sure that the whole entity imaged nicely from the centre stage position. Then we equalised the system so that it was extremely clean, almost clinical. This doesn’t work for a music system – it will sound flat and slightly lifeless with a band through it, but in this scenario it ensures the vocal range is really clear everywhere. The main PA was well upstage of the performance. That’s great for imaging, but difficult to get the level on the microphone. K1 and a DPA4088 is a great combination to ensure this is no problem.”

Following the performance, Mr Woods declared himself happy with the system and the work done by the Delta team. “It sounded great, Rayno and Jentry did a fabulous job. I walked the venue regularly and spent time upstairs in the balcony. It’s good to stop being the engineer in the rear seats and become a punter, follow the show and take into account the people around you. If they can’t stop laughing then the PA is working!”

Text: ProAudio ME

Photos: Done Events